Hood or deck lid hinge



Dec. 18, 1956 G. R. THOMAS 2,774,099

HOOD OR DECK LID HINGE Filed Sept. 4, 1955 United States Patent" HOOD OR DECK LID HINGE Gerald R. Thomas, St. Clair Shores, Mich, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Chrysler Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1953, Serial No. 378,524

4 Claims. (Cl. 16-180) This invention relates to hinge structures for swinging lids or closures and in particular to a hinge structure that is especially useful for the hook or deck lid of an automobile body and which embodies spring means elfective to raise or assist in raising the hood or deck lid and counterbalancing the weight thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a hinge structure for a swinging lid or closure, such as an automobile hood or deck lid, having swinging hinge arm means attached to the lid and torsional spring means acting on the hinge arm means to exert a lifting force effective to raise or assist in raising the lid to open position.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated by Way of example, a pair of pivotally mounted hinge arms are attached to the lid or closure adjacent opposite sides thereof. A transversely extending spring torsion tube is attached at one end to one hinge arm and at its opposite end to a fixed bracket or body member. A transversely extending spring torsion bar or red extends axially through the torsion tube and is attached at one end to the other hinge arm and at its opposite end to a fixed bracket or body member. Thus, at one side of the lid or closure the spring torsion tube is attached to the hinge arm at that side and the torsion bar is attached to a fixed part of the body, and at the opposite side of the lid the spring torsion tube is attached to a fixed part of the body and the torsion bar is attached to the hinge arm at said opposite side. The spring torsion members, comprising the torsion tube and the torsion bar extending therethrough, are initially twisted or wound up to a predetermined angular degree so "as to exert a rotative effort on the hinge arms which is translated into a lifting force on the lid when closed and held in closed position by latch means. Hence, upon nnlatching the lid the torsional spring means acting through the hinge arms will swing or assist in swinging the lid upwardly to open position.

It will be apparent that the torsional spring means provides a simple, efiicient and economical lifting or counterbalancing means for a hood or deck lid. Moreover, by utilizing torsion members in which one extends through the other relatively light members may be used, producing a very compact structure. It will also be seen that by virtue of this construction equivalent lifting forces will be applied to opposite sides of the lid and the latter will be raised smoothly and evenly.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended .claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through one side of the hood and cowl of an automobile Y body and illustrating a hinge structure embodying the present invention, this view being taken substantially through lines 1-1 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially Patented Dec. 13, 1956 through lines 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially through lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially through lines 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially through lines 55 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially through lines 6--6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View, partly broken away, illustrating the pivotal mounting for one of the hinge members.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawings the hinge structure embodying the present invention is illustrated in association with the hood or bonnet of an automobile body. It will be understood that this is but illustrative of one use of the invention since the invention may be applied equally well, for example, to the deck or rear compartment lid of an automobile body.

In the illustrated example the front cowl panel of the automobile body is shown at 10 and the upwardly swingable hood or bonnet is shown at 11. The cowl panel 10 is crowned transversely and terminates at its forward edge in a transverse trough or gutter 12 underlying the rear transverse edge 11a of the hood. In the present instance the cowl panel and hood are molded from plastic material, although it will be understood that the usual metal stampings may be substituted therefor.

Extending along each side of the body beneath the cowl and the hood is a frame member 13 having near the rear thereof an upwardly sloping portion 13a, and secured to the underside of the hood at each lateral side thereof is a depending bracket 14. These brackets may be molded from plastic material or formed from sheet metal, as desired, and rigidly bonded to the underface of the hood.

The hinge means for supporting the hood for up and down swinging movement comprises a pair of similar hinge members 15 and mounted beneath the cowl at each lateral side thereof. Since the hinge members are constructed and mounted in the same way the description of the hinge member 15 and the manner in which it is mounted and connected to the hood will suffice. The hinge member 15, as also the hinge member 150, is provided with a forwardly extending arm 15a underlying a bottom laterally extending flange 14a of the bracket 14. The hinge arm 15a is rigidly attached to the bracket and to a reinforcing plate 16 attached to the upper side of the flange 14a through the medium of bolts 17. Each hinge member has a goose neck portion 15b which is adapted to provide clearance with respect to the trough 12 when the hood 11 is swung upwardly to its full open position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Each hinge member also has a vertically extending hinge arm 150 which is pivotally mounted at its upper end on a bracket 18. Each bracket 18 is in the form of an angle having a base 18a rigidly secured to the frame portion 13a and to a backing plate 20 through the medium of bolts 19.

Each bracket 18 is provided with a forwardly extending flange 18b, and attached to this flange is a plate 21 provided with a portion 21:: extending along the face of the fiange and spot Welded thereto, thisplatehaving a second portion 21b oifset from the flange 18 b so'as to extend in spaced'relation to the upper portion of the flange. The flange 18b of each bracket 18 is formed adjacent the upper end thereof with an aperture to receive a bearing sleeve 22 which ispress fittedinto a recess in the upper end of the hinge member 15 or 15!). The bearing sleeve 22 which is thus attached to the hinge member is rotatable within the aperture in the flange 18b, the

outer end or" the bearing sleeve extending in abutting relation to the offset portion 21b of the plate 21. By virtue of the foregoing constructionthe hinge members 15 and 150 are pivotally mounted on the bracket 18.

The spring means acting on the hinge members 15 and 159 comprises a torsion tube 23 and a torsion rod or bar 24 extending through the tube coaxial therewith and also with the hinge members. The torsion tube 23 has a square end 23a snugly fitting within a correspondingly shaped square socket in the upper end of the hinge member 15, see Fig. 4. By this construction one end of the torsion tube 23 is anchored to the hinge member 15 at one side of the hood. The opposite end of the torsion tube 23 is provided with asquare portion 23b, see Fig. 5,

which snugly fits within a correspondingly shaped square" aperture in the upper ofiset portion 21b of the bracket plate 21. In view of this construction it will be seen that the torsion tube 23 is anchored at one end to one of the hinge members and at its opposite end to the fixed plate 21 attached to the bracket 18. The torsion bar or rod 24 extends axially through the torsion tube 23. One endof this rod passes freely through the bracket plate 21 and the bearing sleeve 22 and is formed with a square end portion'24a snugly fitting within a correspondingly shaped square hole in the upper end of the hinge member 150, see Fig. 6. The opposite end of the torsion rod or bar 24 also extends freely through the bearing sleeve 22 for thehinge arm 15 and terminates in a square end portion 2% fitting snugly within a correspondingly shaped square aperture in the upper portion of the adjacent bracket plate 21. In view of this construction it will be seenthat one end of the torsion rod or bar 24 is anchored to the hinge arm 150 and the opposite end is anchored to the bracket plate 21.

The hinge members 15 and 150 together with the torsion tube 23, torsion bar 24 and brackets 18 are first assembled together with the torsion mernbers in unstressed condition. With the parts thus initially assembled the brackets 18 will assume a position such as illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 1. Thereafter, with the hinge members held against turning motion, the brackets 18 are turned through approximately 120 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l, to the position shown in full lines in said figure, the brackets then being bolted in position. This operation results in winding up or torsionally twisting the torsion tube 23 and the torsion bar 24. At all times, therefore, when the hood is closed as illustrated in Fig. 1, the torsion members 23 and 24 will exert a turning efiort on the hinge members 15 and 150, and accordingly when the hood is unlatched at the front end thereof the hinge members under the influence of the spring torsion members will exert upward forces on the hood raising or assisting to raise the same to the full open position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1. The magnitude of the raising forces applied to the hood is preferably predetermined so as to cause the spring torsion members to counterbalance the weight of the hood and also hold the same in its full open position.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having an up and down swinging lid or closure, a pair of transversely spaced supports fixed to the body, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members pivotally mounted on said supports to swingabout a common transverse axis, each of said hinge members being attached to the lid or closure to provide for up and down swinging movement thereof, torsional spring means comprising a torsion tube and a torsion bar extending coaxially therethrough and along the axis of said hinge members, said torsion tube being attached coaxially adjacent one end to one hinge member and coaxially adjacent its opposite end to one of said supports,- said torsion bar being attached coaxially adjacent one end to the other hinge member and coaxially adjacentits opposite end to the other support, said torsional spring means being initially torsionally deflected to exert turning eifort on said hinge members tending to swing the lid upwardly toward open position.

2. In a vehicle body having. an up and down swinging lid or closure, a pair-of transversely spaced supports fixed to the body, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members pivotally mounted on said supports to swing about a common transverse axis, each of said hinge members being attached to the lid onclosure to provide for up and down swinging movement thereof, one of said hinge arms being intermediate said supports and adjacent one thereof, the other of said supportsbeing intermediate said inge arms andadjacent the other thereof, a torsion tube coaxial with said common axis and keyed adjacent one end to'said one hinge arm and adjacent its opposite end to said other support, and a torsion rod extending coaxially through said tube and keyed adjacent one end to said one support and adjacent its opposite end to said other hinge arm.-

3. In a vehicle body having a vertically swinging closure, a pair of transversely spaced supports fixed to the body, a pair of hinge arms secured to said closure, a pair of coaxial tubular. bushings, one of each of said bushings pivotally connecting one of each of said hinge arms to one of each of said supports to swing about the axis of said bushings, a torsion tube coaxial with said bushings andkeyed adjacent one end to one of said arms and at its opposite end to one of said supports, and a torsion rod extending coaxially through said tube and bushingsv and keyed adjacent one end to the other of said supports and adjacent its opposite end to the other of said arms.

4. In a vehicle body having a verticallyswinging clo sure, a pair of transversely spaced supports fixed to the body, a hinge arm intermediate said supports and adjacent one thereof, a second hinge arm adjacent the other support, said hinge arms being secured to said closure to providefor swinging thereof, said other support being intermediate said hinge arms, a pair of coaxial tubular bushings, one of each of said bushings pivotally connecting one of each of said hinge arms to its adjacent support to swingabout the axis of said bushings, a torsion tube coaxial with said bushings and keyed adjacent one end to said first narnedhinge arm and adjacent its opposite end to said other support, and a torsion rod extending coaxiallyv through said tube and bushings and keyed adjacent one end to said one support and adjacent its opposite end to said second hinge arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,480,934 lulien Sept. 6, 1949 2,602,957 Anderson July 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 924,210 France Mar. 3, 1947 

